Packing



July 29, 1941. P. w. ARMSTRONG- PACKING Filed Ndv. 15, 1 959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ega- INVENTOR ATTOR EYSV;

July 29, 1941;

F. w. ARMSTRONG 2,251,211

PACKING Filed Nov. 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE NTOR 4 M J Y ATronzsvaj" Patented July 29, 1941 UNlTED STATESPATENT OFFICE PACKING Francis W. Armstrong, Palmyra, N. Y., assignor to The Garlock Packing.Gompany, Palmyra, r N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 15, 1939, Serial No. 304,522

7 4 Claims.

My present invention relates to metallic packings and aims to provide certain improvements in the structure thereof and in the method of making the same.

Among the objectsof myinvention may be recited the following: To provide a resilient metallic packing which optionally may or may not be self-lubricating; which will be lighter in weight than packings of corresponding shape made of the same metal; which will be stronger and more durable than packings formed of shredded material; which will not be subject to disintegration in handling; which require no binder; and which, when formed in ring shape and applied to a shaft, will have the property of increasing its length for flowing around the shaft when subjected to gland pressure.

The foregoing and other objects not specifically enumerated are realized by my packing, which, in a preferred embodiment, consists of a sheet of metallic foil which has been coated first with a lubricant oil adapted to act as a binder for graphite with which the sheet is then coated, said treated sheet being pleated to permit a sliding action of the metal when distorted and to provide a plurality of interstices which serve to hold and confine the graphite. The treated sheet may also be ribbed or fluted transversely to the pleats at spaced distances apart for the purpose of providing lines of low resistance along which the foil will readily fold when made into lengths suitable for forming into packings of various shapes for specific uses. The invention will be better understood from the detailed description which follows, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a fractional top plan of a piece of metallic foil which has been treated preparatory to being subjected to further operations.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the foil after having been pleated.

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

, Fig. 3a is a view similar to Fig. 1 on a much larger scale to better show the pleated character of the packing material.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the metallic foil shown in Fig. 2 which has been cut to proper width preparatory to forming a packing ring.

Figs. 5 and 6 show two steps in the method of forming a packing ring from the material shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a packing ring formed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a manner of forming the material of Fig. 2 into a packing having a resilient core.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a manner of making a solid foil packing.

Referring to the drawings, the packing material is formed from a sheet [5 of metallic foil such as aluminum, lead, or other suitable metal of proper gauge, which is preferably first coated on both faces with a high grade fire test lubricant oil 16 which acts as a binder for powdered orflake graphite ll, with whichthe sheet is subsequently coated. The oil and graphite may be applied to the foil in any desired manner such as dipping, spraying or the like. The treated sheet of Fig. 1 is then substantially uniformly pleated, as indicated at l8, preferably in a direction transversely to the length of the sheet. If desired, the pleated treated sheet may also be ribbed-or fluted, as indicated at I9 in Fig. 9, in a direction preferably substantially at right angles to the pleats 18. Preferably the ribs or flutes are spaced apart a greater distance than the pleats for a purpose which will presently be made apparent. The pleats primarily, and the ribs to a lesser degree, provide interstices for securely holding the lubricant oil and graphite onto the foil. Primarily, however, the pleats provide surfaces adapted to slide over each other as the packing is distorted.

The treated foil may be cut to size, folded, coiled, and/or compacted in suitable molds to form the packing material into various desired shapes and sizes, for example, rings, pancake coils or wound on reels, depending upon the uses to which the packing material is to be applied.

In Figs. 5 to 7 I have shown a method of fabricating a packing ring for use as a gland packing. In forming such packing ring the treated pleated sheet of Fig. 2 is cut into proper width, as shown in Fig. 4, with the pleats extending transversely of the sheet which is then wound around a cylindrical mandrel 20 of definite diameter, with the pleats in the sheet extending substantially parallel to the axis of the mandrel. The resulting tube or ring 2| thus formed is put in a mold 22 and subjected to the application of force through a suitable plunger device 23 in a direction parallel to the pleats. This operation causes the material to fold transversely to its length so that the pleats therein Will'assume a relation substantially radially of the ring, in which relation the ring is compacted into a relatively dense mass. The resulting folded and compacted ring 24 after being removed from the mold, may then be obliquely split, as indicated at 25, to facilitate the application of the packing ring to a shaft and permit it to accommodate itself to the confined space within which it is held when subjected to gland pressure. The substantially radial relation of the pleats in the foil of the packing ring greatly aids in this property of accommodation when distorted.

In Fig. 8 I have shown the application of my invention to a packing having a resilient core 25 of suitable material such as flax or asbestos, around which the pleated foil is wound. Obviously the core may have any desired cross-section, depending upon the use to which the packing is to be applied.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a manenr of building up a solid foil packing by accordion pleating the previously pleated treated foil along the ribs or flutes I9. packing may be compacted, coiled or otherwise formed into desired shape.

Packing materials formed in accordance with the methods described above possess the following characteristics and advantages: (1) The interstices provide pockets for both the oil and graphite lubricants; (2) the cellular structure of the material results in a resilient packing, Whereas the usual metallic packing rings are inert or static bodies; (3) the structure is lighter in weight than other metallic rings made of the identical sheet material but untreated in the manner set forth; (4) in ring shape, the packing has the unusual faculty of increasing in length or flowing around the shaft under gland pressure and thereby insuring an efficient lubricated seal; (5) the character of the materials from which the packing is formed renders it especially useful and desirable where packings are subjected to relatively high temperatures for relatively long periods of time.

Although I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention it is to be After being accordion pleated, the.

understood that I do not wish to be limited to the specific constructions and methods of preparation described, since these may be varied within the range of engineering skill without departing from the spirit of my invention; for example, in lieu of the lubricant oil and graphite, other materials possessing analogous properties respectively, may be used.

What I claim is:

1. A packing material consisting of a sheet of metallic foil formed into a plurality of overlying layers, said sheet being longitudinally pleated with the pleats disposed in lapped relation and said sheet being folded transversely of the pleats whereby the pleats of adjacent layers are disposed in overlying contacting relation, the pleats of each layer and those of adjacent layers being adapted to slide over each other as the packing is distorted by pressure.

2. A packing material according to claim 1, wherein the sheet of metallic foil is coated on both surfaces with lubricant.

3. A packing material, according to claim 1, wherein the folding of the sheet transversely of the pleats is an accordion pleating of the sheet.

4. A packing material in the form of a'ring, consisting of a sheet of metallic foil which is longitudinally pleated with the pleats disposed in lapped relation, said sheet being wound into substantially concentric layers with the pleats extending substantially parallel to the axis of said layers and said sheet being compacted and folded transversely of the pleats whereby the pleats extend substantially radially of the ring with the pleats of adjacent layers disposed in overlying contacting relation, the pleats of each layer and those of adjacent layers being adapted to slide over each other as the packing ring is distorted by pressure.

FRANCIS W. ARMSTRONG. 

